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  1. #1
    custard_pot
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    Default Leonard Gilbert Hawkes

    Wondered if anyone can help me. I am helping someone as they are really stuck on their tree. She has got a birth certificate for her Great Grandfather,

    Leonard Gilbert Hawkes, born 18th December 1915, at 2 north hermitage,Shrewsbury .

    His father was, Leonard James Hawkes

    His mother was, Beatrice Mary hawkes (that is her maiden name)

    Fathers occupation was teacher

    Mother was also believed to be a teacher

    His mother registered him with the above name and same address as birth ...
    He was registered in the district of Atcham in sub district of St Mary in the county of Salop

    Leonard Gilbert was adopted at 6 months old by Henry and Gladys Harris they lived in cherington,warwickshire. His parents visited him once a year until he was around the age of 14 .

    I have looked on Ancestry, Find My Past and Famlysearch for a marriage for his parents and cannot find any.

    The suspicion of the person I am helping and her family is that his parents were related and the people who adopted him were friends of theirs.

    Just wondered if I was missing something. Any help would be appreciated.

    Christine

  2. #2
    Brick wall demolition expert!
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    The only birth I can see for a Leonard James Hawkes is in 1899 in Suffolk, which I think is (a) too young to be your chap and (b) born in the wrong location.

    There are a number of James Leonard Hawkes including one born in 1877 in Liverpool. He married in 1905 a Gertrude Dyer.

    Lancashire would be a more likely place to go to Shropshire from than say Suffolk.

    Beatrice Mary Hawkes offers up a number of possibilities. There is one born in 1884 in Stourbridge, Worcester. Stourbridge would be a good location for both Shropshire and Warwickshire.

    The occupation of teacher should be looked in the context that there would not have been the need for teaching training qualifications in 1915. Many children became pupil teachers.

    Given the date of his birth, it must be a possibility that his mother was married to someone serving in the forces. I am guessing that your assertion that Hawkes was her maiden name is based on what is written on his birth certificate. It needs to be born in mind that you did not have to produce evidence of your marital state or otherwise when registering the birth of a child.

    I think that unless you can pin point one of his parents more accurately that you will struggle to solve this mystery.

  3. #3
    Wilkes_ml
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    There is a very high chance that Beatrice Mary was not actually married, and that Leonard James had a different surname and that she gave her son's father the same surname as hers on the birth certificate to make her child look legitimate. It may be worth looking in parish baptism registers to see if there is a corresponding baptism, which may give different information than the birth certificate. It's something I have come across with an adopted child.....the father's surname is made to match the mothers, and the father's fornames are completely different on birth & baptism.
    Last edited by Wilkes_ml; 18-10-2014 at 9:49 PM. Reason: correction

  4. #4
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
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    A possibility for the mother

    1911
    7A High Street Brierley Hill

    HAWKES Beatrice b1884 Scool teacher County Council. ( presume this would be Staffs!)

    d/o HAWKES John Edward

    Have you googled the address given as the place of birth?????

  5. #5
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
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    Birth of Beatrice Mary?

    HAWKES BEATRICE MARY 1884 — 1884 Births & baptisms Stourbridge, Worcestershire, England

  6. #6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Wilkes_ml View Post
    There is a very high chance that Beatrice Mary was not actually married, and that Leonard James had a different surname and that she gave her son's father the same surname as hers on the birth certificate to make her child look legitimate. It may be worth looking in parish baptism registers to see if there is a corresponding baptism, which may give different information than the birth certificate. It's something I have come across with an adopted child.....the father's surname is made to match the mothers, and the father's fornames are completely different on birth & baptism.
    I agree with Wilkes, it is highly probable that Beatrice Mary and Leonard James were not married and Leonard James' surname was not Hawkes.

    His parents visited him once a year until he was around the age of 14 .
    Did they visit together?

  7. #7
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
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    Thinking out of the box and on the basis Leonard James are the forenames, there is a Leonard James PARKES ( similar to HAWKES?)
    elementary school teacher b 1890

    1911 Ivy Cottage, 166 Wrights Lane, Old Hill, Staffs ( not that far from Brierley Hill 3-4 miles)

    You may need to check who was on the electoral roll of North Hermitage Shrewsbury in 1914 - 1916

    The only way to check if LJ was a HAWKES or relative is to satart building a family tree, you have not stated whether Beatrice went onto marry! If she did then her marriage certificate would confirm her fathers details

    Many a family has / had skeletons like this, there is usually a grain of truth in what has been repeated over the years

  8. #8

    Default

    Leonard Gilbert Hawkes, born 18th December 1915, at 2 north hermitage,Shrewsbury .
    I've found 'North Hermitage' on the 1911 census but the full addresses have names of houses, not numbers. The parish is Shrewsbury St Julian in the Atcham area, piece 16078. May be worth you scanning through the census pages.

  9. #9
    custard_pot
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    Thank you all for your replies they have given me a lot to look at. I have emailed the person I am helping with some questions and I shall also pass on these replies to see if anything rings true with her.

    Thank you again Christine

  10. #10
    custard_pot
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    Default

    Right had an email back with answers to my questions and this is what she says

    Maiden name of mother: Yes just from his birth certificate.
    Did he not take adoptive parents name: I'm unsure of the terms of his adoption but I know he kept his parents surname and from what my great aunt knows they visited him once a year until he was around 14 and then contact ceased .

    He married Gladys Stevens in shipston on stour in 1938

    The only solid thing is the address he was born at . at 2 north hermitage,Shrewsbury , Would there be a record of the people living in the house

    Christine

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